A SUMMIT FOR RADICAL AND ALTERNATIVE ARTS EDUCATION
Great Yarmouth, 22/03/24

originalprojects; invites you to explore alternative arts education for a world transformed.

Join us in Great Yarmouth for a day of talks, case studies, and relationship-building as we consider the changing landscape of arts education. How do the ways in which we 'teach' the arts reflect or determine the culture we live in? How are radical and forward-thinking organisations bringing new models for teaching and learning to places traditionally ignored by legacy arts institutions? And how can we build collective and individual practices that enable ambitious work within ever-more constrained material conditions?

From our home in one of the UK's 'Priority Places', originalprojects; is making culture for everyone. Register now for CONTRAcurricular and help build new futures in arts education.

CONTRAcurricular is part of originalprojects;' 18-month Lifting the Horizon project, initiated in response to the ‘Levelling Up’ agenda. Building on the conversations sparked during the online workshop Razing The Agenda in May 2023, it underscores the pressing need to reimagine the role of art education in our constantly evolving world. The summit aims to facilitate discussions, generate fresh ideas, and encourage collaborations among artists, educators, and communities.

This event is supported with public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and delivered with the support of University of East Anglia (Creative UEA and Civic University), Norwich University of the Arts and CVAN (Contemporary Visual Arts Network England).

This national summit will include presentations from radical new arts organisations across the UK, with a particular focus on 'Priority Places'. We will learn from practitioners experimenting with new ways to teach and learn the arts, exploring a broad range of innovative and inclusive approaches.

Expect hands-on, practical information to augment your own practices wherever you are based, alongside deeper interrogation of ideas and rubrics like 'Levelling Up' and the role of the arts in the pursuit of broader social goals.

Speakers who will help set the scene and interrogate the subject will include:

There will also be a series of case studies from organisations providing arts education that sits apart from the mainstream, including:

Further details about the speakers and their subjects will be provided at a later date, along with additional speakers as they are confirmed.

We are operating a tiered pricing system to ensure CONTRAcurricular is accessible to as many people as possible. All tickets include lunch and refreshments.

  • £5 - concessionary rate for those on low incomes or from a Priority Place as defined by Arts Council England
  • £10 - for freelancers and artists who are earning enough to be able to pay a bit more
  • £20 - for those on a full-time wage
  • £30 - for those representing institutions, or those who are able and generous enough to contribute a little extra.

If you can’t afford a ticket but would like to come along, please get in touch as we have a number of bursary tickets we can make available.

We’re planning and connecting with some additional events to coincide with the CONTRAcurricular Summit, so we recommend making a weekend of it. Additional activity will include:

  • An installation at ‘Hair by Cyndy’ by artist Wayne Pilgrim (who will also be offering haircuts)
  • A book launch by Great Yarmouth publisher and project space Possible Worlds
  • An Art School Party at Viper Room (the basement of The Empire) on Friday night
  • The opening of an exhibition at PrimeYarc on Saturday of paintings by painters who teach
  • An evening of performance and live music at The Jube (also on the Saturday)
  • Pub tutorials at various pubs around town from artists including Alan Kane and Ryan Gander (karaoke not included)
  • MdZ ESTATE and ADP RIOT - Jimmy Cauty’s dystopian model village experiences in 40’ shipping containers will be on view at The (Dis)Pleasure Beach Gardens
  • The Hippodrome Circus’ Pirate show opens on the Friday evening - a discount code will be provided with any ticket purchase

Great Yarmouth also has plenty of places to visit and explore at all times of the year including:

As a popular tourist destination Great Yarmouth has a plethora of accommodation options. Some of the ones we’ve had good reports from include:

There are many great places to eat in Great Yarmouth. Alongside the traditional fayre of fresh fish and chips and great British cafes, there is a long-established Portuguese-speaking community who have brought great coffee, restaurants, and bars.

Some of the places we would recommend include:

  • Sara’s Tearooms - high quality British breakfasts and all homemade cakes
  • Central Cafe - great Portuguese coffee and cakes
  • Indian Food Club - excellent South Indian cuisine
  • King Street’s Portuguese cafe’s bars and restaurants including M&Ms, Tropical Cafe, Cafe Ventura
  • V-Namese - Vietnamese food worth travelling for
  • The Empire - a range of street food in a former theatre
  • Cafe 1903 for great coffee in extraordinary surroundings

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Design and development by PossibleWorlds.space